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Does Arsenal boss really not rate this star striker?

Arsenal have been linked with this striker for a long time, almost ever since he first came to the Premier League three years ago from the Belgian club Genk. And once Christian Benteke had revealed that he was a big fan of Arsenal and that he hoped to use his time at Aston Villa to gain a move to a really big club, a lot of us Arsenal fans were hoping that Arsene Wenger would sign him up sooner or later.

Benteke has hurt the Gunners on the pitch a few times, most notably on the opening day of the season in 2013 when his two goals helped Aston Villa turn the game on its head into a painful defeat for us. And even though the season just gone saw the big Belgian struggle for much of it, he did come good for the new manager and show again just what an effective and sometimes unplayable centre forward he can be. It seems to me that he would make perfect competition for Olivier Giroud.

But the Arsenal manager does not seem to agree, because another chance to sign Benteke has presented itself this summer and Wenger has not reacted. According to Metro he is now set to sign for Liverpool after rejecting a transfer to Tottenham (perhaps another sign that he really wants to play for Arsenal).

The only thing holding up his move to Liverpool, according to the report, is that Villa want his full release clause of £32 million. So is it just the price that is putting the Arsenal boss off or does Wenger just not rate Benteke as Arsenal quality?

25 thoughts on “Does Arsenal boss really not rate this star striker?”

Its technically only day 2 of the window and already my head is spinning from the incessant rumor mongering.

Vidal 90% in, now off to RM
MS deal done last January, Manure now favorites
Santi loving life as a Gunner, Simeone circling
Carvalho deal imminent, Wenger hates agent
Benzema on his way out of Madrid, Arsenal the favorites
Lacazette offered to Arsenal for a measly $21M, PSG and all of Manchester intetested.
Cech in, out, now back in, out, now Official
Nacho not interested in return to Spain, Bilbao on the hunt
Schez and Ospina?

Different perspective always nice – now Liverpool are linked with Benteke here is a cross-section of their fan’s thoughts:

“No I didn’t watch your video but I’ve seen Benteke plenty of times. Doesn’t press. Doesn’t move. Doesn’t make runs. He did f**k all for 3/4 of last season. His performances improved once Sherwood came in and Villa began to go more direct. We play in a certain way. We need pace. We need energy. We need our forwards to press. Benteke doesn’t offer that. Benteke can hold the ball up all day and I would fancy him to score a header with every cross coming into the box but we don’t play like that. I think he would be great for Chelsea. But not for us”.

“I think Benteke is a handful and could be a beast at a club who are more direct than we are. I could imagine him being the next Drogba for Chelsea for example. But he doesn’t fit into a pass and move, keep it on the deck, high pressing type side. And that’s what we are”.

“If we sign him then I’m prepared to watch him in a red shirt before I write him off and criticise him BUT I won’t be surprised one bit if this time next year we are discussing what a flop Benteke is. He doesn’t fit in to our team”.

“I believe benteke is a committee signing. I’m making a prediction now. We will sign him and he will flop instantly because he isn’t suited to play in a team that plays with a high tempo and keeps the ball on the deck. Once Danny is fit we will go back to a diamond and Ings will partner him, Benteke will be dropped, and we will look far better. In the meantime Brendan will get a load of sh*t because the club signed Benteke for 32m and we end up selling him to Newcastle for 7”.

Fair to say they are generally not greatly enthused although a small pocket of fans support the idea. Pretty similar to here I’d say.

I’m not doubting that Christian Benteke is a good striker…but he honestly is not competition for Giroud…or Walcot, or Welbeck.
A wise saying goes thus: ‘if you need to eat a frog, eat a fat and juicy one’
If we are going for a striker, let’s go for an improvement on the ones we have…if not, what’s the need?

Benteke has a much higher ceiling than OG and @ 24 is already a better player.

Le Prof would NEVER spend that type of transfer fee on the lad but much like you’ve said Mick the big Belgian, if healthy would consisently be a 20-30 goal scorer with Ozil/Santi/Rambo/Sanchez and the likes feeding him on a weekly basis.

If only it were that simple Mick. I think CB is decent but not a CF who whose best attributes suit our style of play/system. Hate to say it but he reminds me of an upmarket Heskey. All the stuff about inferior clubs and less talented creative players feeding him is a red herring. Benteke is better than Ings and Austin but they are all get reasonable goal tallies because they are pretty much the sole attacking focal point for their teams. Big fish in smaller pond f you like. Despite the disparity in midfield talent AV still create 8-9 chances a game for the past 2 seasons, compared to Arsenal’s average of 11 – not as big a gap as you might imagine. Nearly all the Villa chances are going to Benteke – only 2 other players scored more than 1 league goal for them last season! (Agbonlahor 6 and Weiman 3) – CB accounted for 42% of their 31 goals. OG is not the primary focal point for Arsenal’s scoring – Arsenal had 15 different scorers and have multiple goal threats.

They have pretty much identical career goal/apps ratios, OG is way superior regarding the wider team contribution, defensive work and assists etc. Our present team set-up system is not geared to a CB type player – probably his greatest strengths are heading from crosses and winning first phase long-ball possession – neither of which is the Arsenal way.

And lets not forget, all that and AV want Alexis type money for him. Has Liverpool written all over him. If we bolster our front 3 strike options I think it will be with someone more technical and flexible who can play anywhere along the front.

I agree with the type of player we’re likely going to get, but your skewed view of Beneteke is off piste.

Giroud is the focal ST but his conversion rate over his time here has meant that rather than achieve 40+% of our goal tally he falls far short. In essence the two teams play very similar as Beneteke is the focal ST who knits together the play for Villa, having scored a goal more and assisted 8 less in the same time frame as Giroud it’s easy to argue his teammates are more inferior yet his own ability very much the level Giroud is at. The reason we won’t get him is because he is far too much like Giroud and Wenger will want an alternate option.

Fair enough, we are normally on different pistes – we wouldn’t want to change that would we?? 🙂 I know you rate him – I said he was decent but not convinced £32M is a deal worth having. If we buy everything else we need first and have £32M spare change I wouldn’t cry if we got him.

Didn’t mention it above but there is a certain irony that our “useless”, “paceless”, “liability” known as Mertesacker has had this guy in his pocket for a couple of seasons now. I like Per, so I’ll run with the idea he is better than many make him out to be rather than the alternative idea that CB ain’t so great.

I do rate him, very highly in fact (more in terms of potential). However, I wouldn’t pay 32mil for him….that outlay should get you more than potential IMO. Far better served getting a ST like Higuain for the added extra.

Tisk tisk….you know football better than that, every ST needs a supporting cast to work for. Benteke is easier to mark out a game when his midfield is as dire as it has been. He’d be a different task altogether leading the line for Liverpool.

I usually agree with you but if we are to get a new striker than we all want him too be upgrade on Giroud right? Benteke is not a big upgrade on Giroud. Think of like this. With Benteke we would have Giroud, Benteke, Walcott and Welbeck as strikers. Do you think we could beat Barca in a champions league game with this strikers?

I’m not necessarily saying get Benteke, he would a marginal upgrade but would certainly be more about ‘the future’ than the now. Would much rather a more established player as you allude to, I’m just stating he’s not at all inferior to what we have like is being made out.

If we are going to go for a striker why go for someone who barely, if at all, improves on the striker we have (who already knows arsenal, the team, and has improved every season whereas Benteke had one breakout season and has had two mediocre ones.) for 32 mil????—— and look to Jonestown1’s comments on being the focal point of every attack.

I would like to see him at Arsenal on his day he’s a nightmare for any defender. Big, strong, decent pace for a big lump & knows where the goal is. Surely he can only improve. But have to agree £32m is too high.

Yeah id say its the price. I reckon if he was playing for Lille and and he were priced at 12 to 15 mil he would go in and get him for nine rising to eleven with bonuses.

I think Benteke would be a very good signing for liv, playing with Sturridge and new boy Irogi or whatever his name is thats allot of pace and now power. Lets just focus on us though and hope half their players dont settle or do flop.

For that money sure we got Sanchez who is one of the very best attacking players in the world, it serves liv right with the bloody gigantic prices they appraise. I hope Metro stop reporting new Arsenal targets because everytime i hear them say Arsenal is after a player i think to myself well thats another player to strike off the list because Arsene isnt one to go with the crowd… hes more of a shepherd.

I have no earthly idea what Le Prof is considering as far as striking options in this window.

In a perfect football world Benzema would be deemed surplus to requirements @ the Bernabeau and sold to the Gunners for around 25-30 million. Add Carvalho for $20M to compete with Le Coq, either Baba or the Algerian left back from Napoli if Nacho rolls to Spain and Arsenal would conclude the most successful transfer window in recent memory.

If Wenger was to buy Benteke i would be quite happy, highly unlikely, but as i said if it was to happen i would be happy.

Reason being Benteke offers all Giroud offers plus pace and for those saying he would not suit arsenal because of our style of play, is ridiculous, please make note that most of Giroud’s goals comes from crosses in the box and not break a ways.

Wenger i think had several opportunities to sign Benteke and have chosen not to, now his price has gone up and two other factors, Walcott will be given more opportunity in the forward slot and i also expect Welbeck to have a far improved season.

I am still hopeful that someone will come in, to provide us with other options